Makarov Question

[M2 Carbine]

Sounds like a good buy Jim.

Enjoy.


BTW, I happen to have these pictures handy.
(I was telling someone how to rebend their safety spring that had gotten too lose)

The first is the position of the safety to remove it from the slide.
(you may already know that)

And the second is what the safety spring looks like when removed from the safety.

 

[halvey]

Find a .45 for less than $200 that runs like a clock out of the box and will continue to do so for decades...

And find a Mak that shoots a .45.

I had more jams with my Makarov than my Colt Defender. Again, I'm not saying the Mak is bad. Next time I see a good one in .380, I will buy it. But that's because I load for .380 and the 9x18 isn't any better according to Lymans, Alliants and Metallic Reloading manuals.

 

[M2 Carbine]

halvey what kind of jams are you having?

There's usually only a couple things that will cause the Mak to jam and they can usually be easily fixed.

I also intend buying the next 380 Mak I see (unless it's at a ripoff price, Jim got a good price on his).

The "standard" 380 and 9x18 load is pretty close.
95 grain bullet doing a few feet under 1,000 fps.

But there are Mak factory 115 and 120 grain JHP loads doing 1,000+ fps and with a heavier recoil spring the MaK will easily handle 1,150 fps loads.

That's a lot closer to the 9mm side than 380.

Guns differ, but the new 9x18 Bulgarian Mak I've been trying to run a quick 1,000 rounds through, likes the hotter loads better than the factory 95 grain JHP.

8x11 inch target

 

[NavajoNPaleFace]

Years back I was given an East German Mak in the form of a payment for some favors I did for a fellow.

The few trips I took him to the VA hospital cost me far less than what I could have bought the same gun. But, with his continuing aging he insisted I take his gun and to take good care of it.

So....on with my point.

I have handguns in many, many calibers. I shoot all of the guns I have. I have CCW and I carry on a very frequent basis. I realize that the likely need to unholster will happen at ranges from 7-15 yards. I also realize that if I need to alert adrenaline will be flowing like coffee at a cheap diner. But, I am a suitable threat to any danger that I face.

And....I would not hesitate to carry the Mak...and, at times, I do.

Bottome line: any gun that will allow you to hit your intended target is far, far better than not having anything.

I've known people that have more confidence in one particular gun they have over another. My advice to them was, and still is, carry the gun that gives you that confidence edge to get the job done, if needed.

And, at normal self defense ranges, the 9 X 18 will get the job done with proper shot placement.

 

[JimJD]

Hey, thanks for the how-to and photos on the safety spring fix M2.

 

[DMK]

Years back I was given an East German Mak in the form of a payment for some favors I did for a fellow.

The few trips I took him to the VA hospital cost me far less than what I could have bought the same gun. But, with his continuing aging he insisted I take his gun and to take good care of it.

Wow, very nice gift. The E. German Maks are the best of the bunch. You do realize that the German Maks go for like $300 now right?

 

[joebogey]

I have 2 Maks, a Russian and a Bulgie.
The Russian I shoot only. The Bulgie I sent to a smith in Texas and had it nickled to use as a carry gun.
They look really nice with the nickled finish and walnut grips.
My only FTF has been with cheap surplus ammo.

 

[JimJD]

Picked up the Mak on thursday, took it out on saturday.
I put another hundred rounds through the pistol with zero problems.
This time around it was WWB .380 loads picked up at the local Wal-Mart. So far, I have 150 rounds fired in this pistol and it's going well. I guess when I go through another 100, I can consider the Mak for carry in the future. I am wondering about the Adj. sights though. Hmmm....
Just have to shop around for a holster, maybe a set of Pearce grips. I've also looked into getting a wolff replacement spring.
So far, I'm happy with this purchase.

 

[steelhead]

I own a couple of EG Maks. I modified one for carry and left the other virgin. About the only thing wrong with the design is the sights and I fixed that with some Novak's. The aftermarket grips are nice but they increase the grip size quite a bit which made a noticeable difference when carrying.

 

[cls12vg30]

A Bulgarian Mak in 9x18 is my carry weapon of choice, mainly for the reasons of cost, accuracy, and unflinching reliability. I have also done my darndest to get the Bulgie to malfunction, to no avail.
I'd take 9x18 over .380 any day, as mentioned earlier there are loads available that are quite a bit hotter than most .380. The 9x18 bullet diameter is actually larger than both .380 and 9x19, .364" versus .355", not very significant but every little bit helps.
But again, my main attractions to the Mak are its reliability and accuracy. After putting about 500 rounds through it since I got it in August, the Mak already feels like an extension of my hand. I've shot several 1911's and a .40 Springfield XD, and I found I could shoot more accurately with my trusty Mak, and it's even more fun and satisfying to shoot than my CZ-52.